Private or Infant Adoption

(Independent or Direct Placement)

Adoptions which do not involve a removal of a child from their birth families is often referred to as a direct placement adoption. It involves a birth parent following a legal procedure that allows the birth families to select an adoptive family to directly place the infant with. The parties work together to improve the life of a child: the birth parent(s), the prospective adoptive family, and the child (or in some cases adult) who is available for adoption.

The adoption decision is often made so that a child can have a better life than the birth parent(s) can provide. Birth parents can participate in the selection of the adoptive parents when the birth parents initiate the adoption process. Before an adoption can proceed, birth parents must make the difficult decision to allow their parental rights to be terminated, because Michigan law does not allow a child to have two sets of legal parents.

The prospective adoptive parents are typically a family that wants to share their love, affection, and resources to improve the life of a child. Michigan adoption laws permit many types of adoption, including the adoption of children and of adults, either single or married. A new birth certificate is issued once the adoption has been completed.